


Let Me Help You

by michigopyon



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, fluff so cheesy that plagg would eat it, nah jk idk but yeah its fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-05-07 16:42:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5463698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michigopyon/pseuds/michigopyon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette pushes herself a little too far. Adrien feels an unexplained need to protect her, offering his help and hoping to learn more about his classmate in the process.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first multi-chap fic! I don't write fanfiction often, this being one of the few I've ever posted publically, so bear with me!

Marinette slumped over in her desk, an ominous beat pounding constantly against her skull. An akuma victim had appeared in the middle of the night, their heated battle unheard by the slumbering city of Paris. It lasted until the sun peaked over the horizon, nature’s clock alerting her to just how long the fight had drawn on. It had taken twice as long to extract that blasted akuma and purify it because her kitty wasn't there to join her. He was probably catnapping blissfully like the rest of the city. She had barely jumped through the ceiling hatch of her room when her alarm clock buzzed, mocking her for her stolen sleep.

“…nette. Marinette!”

The girl's eyes shot open as she flailed backwards, a pair of arms luckily preventing her from spilling out of her chair.

"Whoa girl, easy!" Alya exclaimed, her grip on her best friend's shoulders tightening. She studied the dark bruises under those unusually dim blue eyes, concern washing over her. "Class ended a few minutes ago and you were completely knocked out. Are you okay?"

"Mmm," Marinette mumbled. She placed a hand over her eyes, the harsh light of the classroom only intensifying her headache. She peeked at Alya from between her fingers and cracked a small grin as a way to alleviate the blogger's worry. "I'm fine, I just... didn't get enough sleep last night..." _More like no sleep at all,_  she grumbled internally.

Alya hummed in contemplation as she gave her friend a once-over. "Ok... if you say so." The girl glanced at her phone, drawing a sharp intake of breath. “Oh shoot, I gotta get going. Get some rest as soon as you get home, ok?" she said sternly, hugging the small girl tight.

Marinette nodded, carefully keeping her smile in place until Alya joined the crowd of students rushing home. Immediately, her face fell- her headache becoming close to unbearable. It blurred her vision and made her stomach lurch in discomfort, but she grit her teeth and endured it. _"Just last until we get home..."_

Grabbing her backpack, she stood up shakily and made her way down the steps. In one terrifying second, gravity seemed to pound down on her, cutting off her breathing and causing her vision to go black. She placed a heavy hand on the desk beside her to desperately anchor her to the ground that began spiraling out from under her and swallowing her whole. As she began to lose herself to the void, she become vaguely aware of a pair of arms grabbing her, pulling her out of the darkness. Her head swam for what seemed like ages before clarity returned to her with wide, emerald eyes lighting the way.

\--

It all happened so fast. Adrien jumped as a hand slammed on his desk, his body tensing in a defensive stance out of habit. The blonde caught a flash of blue from the corner of his eye and his body reacted before his mind even comprehended what was going on. He caught his falling classmate around her waist before she completely toppled over, pulling her towards his chest protectively.

“Wh- Marinette?” Adrien gasped in surprise, feeling the girl’s dead weight pulling her to the floor. He supported her, still very much confused as to what was going on. He peered at her flushed face- her half-lidded, blue eyes glossed over and staring into the abyss. Her breathing was ragged and heavy.

The boy looked around the now empty classroom, panic rising. What was he supposed to do? He was Chat Noir for crying out loud, why couldn’t he think of something? His kwami poked his small head out from his backpack, sensing the distress.

“Whoa, what did you do to her?” Plagg chirped, staring at the scene before him.

“Nothing!” Adrien shook his head. “She… I think she passed out. I need to get help.” He shifted Marinette in his arms, hooking one arm under her knees with the other cradling her upper body to his chest, princess style. “C’mon Marinette, stay with me,” he whispered in concern.

\--

Marinette stirred, the fogginess in her eyes dissipating as she became aware of her surroundings. She felt weightless, her body suspended in the air by… someone. They were carrying her, their bodies shifting as the person began to sprint out of the room. “N..no- wait,” she managed to squeak out weakly.

They stopped suddenly, just before they made it too far into the hallway. Luckily, most of the students had already went home, leaving the area empty.

With what little strength she had, Marinette tried to slip out of the arms carrying her. “I-I’m okay…” she muttered unconvincingly.

“No, you’re not,” her savior’s voice countered, the familiar tone of it startling her. She stiffened. Chat? She glanced up to meet green eyes, but no, it wasn’t her kitty. It was…

“A-Adrien!” she spluttered, reeling back out of his grasp in shock and sinking to the floor.

Her crush chuckled despite the situation. “Marinette.” He shook his head as he walked over to her, extending a hand. She hesitated, but grabbed it nonetheless and let him pull her up.

“I.. I’m sorry. I don’t know what- you didn’t have to-…” She couldn’t meet his gaze, but suddenly her world spun again, causing her to grip his hand much harder, her other hand grasping his upper arm. Adrien automatically held her steady, pulling her close so that she could lean on him.

“You’re not okay…” he stated again and tugged her further down the hall. “Let me take you to the nurse, c’mon.”

“No!” she cried, the urgency in her voice surprising both of them. “No,” she repeated in a softer voice. “I… I’m not supposed to be uh… sick.” 

The girl shook her head, unable to quite explain herself in a way that made sense. If her family knew she was sick out of exhaustion, then they would dutifully check up on her more often. She loved them and knew how doting they could be, but unfortunately that didn’t align with her superhero duties. She was already struggling to find excuses for her absences when Ladybug was needed- what more if her parents began poking their head into her room every few minutes to make sure she was doing okay?

“I can’t have anyone know I’m sick, so… please. I’ll be fine,” she poured as much determination she could into her weak voice.

To her relief, Adrien nodded in understanding, though his eyes swam with confliction. He peered towards the school entrance, seeing his family’s car gliding into view. “Can you stand?” he asked. He gently loosened his hold on her, observing the way her legs wobbled and threatened to send her crashing to the floor once again. Shaking his head, he held the small of her back, lightly guiding her down in a sitting position on the floor.

“Stay here, _please_ ,” he told her, knowing that she really didn’t have the strength to bolt out on him anyway. “I have to get my backback, but,” he pointed at her, a charming smile spreading on his face causing Marinette’s cheeks to flare up, “if you won’t let someone else help you, then _I_ will.” With that, he sprinted off towards their classroom, leaving the red-faced girl sitting dumbfounded in the middle of the hallway.

Once she was alone, Marinette’s purse rustled as Tikki poked her small head out. “ _Marinette_ …” the little kwami fretted. “You pushed yourself way too hard last night.”

“I know, I know,” her charge sighed, absentmindedly fiddling with one of her earrings. “But I had to purify that akuma, and I really couldn’t have waited for Chat Noir to show up. I’m sorry, Tikki.”

The kwami held Marinette’s pinky in comfort, patting it lightly. “Don’t be, I should’ve done something... or at least convinced you to miss school today. Just promise me you’ll take it easy from now on?”

 “Of course.”

Echoing steps caused Tikki to retreat back into the purse. Adrien rounded the corner holding both their backpacks and visibly relaxed once he saw that Marinette was still upright.

“Oh! Thank you!” Marinette chirped, making a move to grab her pink bag from him, though he swung it out of her reach. He shrugged his own bag on, slipping hers around his shoulder as he helped her up once again.

Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest when she was forced to lean against Adrien again as support. This was the most she’d ever had physical contact with him, beating out the time they almost kissed for their video project a couple months back. Heck, this was the longest she’s had any kind of contact with him at all. She cursed her luck- of all the situations she’d played in her head for him to give all his attention to her, being sick and weak was not one of them.

The blonde led her carefully towards the entrance, causing Marinette to scrunch up her face in confusion. “Adrien?” she questioned. They made it to the car waiting outside, the boy opening the backseat door and guiding her inside without explanation. She allowed him to, but her eyes never left his face, a million questions swimming in those sapphire irises of hers. He stared back intensely, offering no answers and no sign of backing down on whatever decision he’s made.

“Trust me?” he breathed.

Marinette’s eyes widened, finding herself nodding instantly and earning a satisfied grin from Adrien. She broke eye contact with him as he slid beside her, placing their bags in the empty space in front of their feet. Yes, he was her crush… but she was surprised that she felt so  _sure_  that she could trust him. She would trust him with her life, and she couldn’t place the reason as to why she felt this way.

As the girl peered out the window distracted by her own thoughts, Plagg popped his head out of Adrien’s shirt collar, having relocated from his previous hiding place in his backpack. “You realize that you practically kidnapped this girl, right?” the cat snickered quietly.

Adrien blushed, hoping that his actions didn’t come off as rude. “I had to do _something_. She would’ve trudged her way home and probably pass out again on the way there.” He stole a glance at Marinette. He didn’t know her as well as he would’ve liked, but her stubbornness gave him all the more reason to protect her. She had a fire in her that seemed to dim whenever she was face-to-face with him, but Adrien saw it alight everywhere else. He saw it in the way she interacted with their classmates, even with Chat Noir, but he didn’t know why she never showed that side to him as Adrien. It was a shame she was sick, but maybe this was a chance to get that flame going when she was around him- not as his superhero alter ego, but as the boy behind the mask. He didn’t even know he wanted that from her until now.

He watched her tiny hands shake in her lap, not quite sure if it was nerves or the exhaustion causing it, though he was thinking it was the latter. Maybe a mix of both. She must have noticed too since she clutched them tightly in an attempt to cease the trembling. He placed his hand over hers, his lips quirking up on one side.

“We’re home, sir,” the driver grunted from the front.

“Thank you,” Adrien replied, pleasantly amused as he saw Marinette’s jaw slacken in surprise with a slew of different emotions flashing across her face.

_Welcome home, Princess._


	2. Chapter 2

The _last_ thing Marinette expected today was to be invited to her crush’s home by none other than Adrien himself. Sure, she’d been inside the huge mansion before, but she had let herself in during the commotion on Adrien’s birthday with the Bubbler. No, this was on a completely different level, and she was stuck between the feelings of floating on Cloud Nine and wetting her pants from the nerves.

She glanced over at Adrien and the secretary that greeted them upon arrival- the “greeting” being a skeptical stare in her direction as the woman robotically ran through the model’s hefty schedule for the following day. Marinette watched as he settled into a face that was void of little expression, noting quite easily that it was probably something he did out of habit when it came to discussing his work. To anyone else, it was a face that emitted practiced professionalism- a face that mirrored his father’s.  But to her, it was unnatural and almost unsettling.

Her thoughts were confirmed as he turned towards her briefly, his face instantly brightening as he uttered something to Nathalie, the secretary pursing her lips in thought before nodding stiffly and turning to leave.

Adrien walked over to where Marinette was seated in the foyer, a sheepish smile playing on his lips and a hand rubbing the back of his neck apologetically. “I told her that you’re here as my partner for a school project. My father is strict when it comes to guests…”

“I-it’s okay!” Marinette reassured him, her hands flailing in front of her. “I uh… I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble.”

The boy chuckled in response, the melodic ring of his laugh tugging at her heart. Oh, how she wished she could replay that sound over and over again like it was her favorite song. He flashed her a toothy grin, his green eyes crinkling in amusement. “You could never do that, Marinette.”

If her exhaustion didn’t make her pass out, this moment surely would.

Adrien held out his arm, Marinette squeaking a small ‘thanks’ as she took it and hoisted herself up with more effort than usual. _Damn_ , her strength still hasn’t returned. With that revelation, she eyed the grand staircase warily as they neared it. How in the world is she going to scale that?

As if Adrien read her mind, he crouched in front of her and peered over his shoulder expectantly as if this was a normal thing between them. He did it with so much ease that it completely caught her off guard, causing her to stumble a couple steps backwards. They barely held a five-minute conversation before today. How could he be so comfortable with her? Of course, he probably saw nothing deeper than what was on the surface, the overly friendly gesture meaning way more to her than it did to him.

What she didn’t know was that Adrien had pulled out some of Chat Noir’s charm in order to be nonchalant. Normally, doing these kinds of things- especially to a girl- made him nervous and self-conscious; however, with Marinette, all he thought about was keeping her safe. And he knew there was no way she could climb these steps on her own in her current state.

“Hop on,” he said simply. He felt his face melt into one that shone with familiar bravado, his grin spreading out in a very Chat-like manner with one eyebrow arching upwards. “Otherwise, I’ll have to sweep you off your feet and carry you in my arms again-”  _Princess_ , he finished in his mind, barely cutting off the nickname. He blinked in surprise at himself, because that almost came out too naturally. 

Marinette was silent, gawking at him. The look he had… it reminded her of… 

Perhaps a past modeling picture of his that she saved on her desktop?

Or maybe someone else. She certainly would’ve never expected Adrien to say something like that, but she felt excitement in being able to witness this unknown side of him. 

Adrien froze, his burst of confidence waning after seeing her hesitation. Ladybug might be able to handle Chat’s antics, but Marinette? The girl he’s only beginning to become closer friends with? Maybe his desire to get the “normal” Marinette out of this seemingly shy girl caused his near slip up. 

An explosion of giggles shattered the awkward silence.

“S-sorry I just…” Marinette gasped in between laughs, “you reminded me of…” Her eyes were twinkling with fondness, a distant memory of something she couldn't place warming her heart. Pushing her nerves aside, she shuffled closer and wrapped her arms gently around Adrien’s neck. He hooked his arms around her legs and stood up, releasing a breath of relief.

“Y’know, I could’ve walked up these steps myself.” Adrien could practically hear the eye-roll in her voice. _Ah, no stutter_ he noted happily. It was a flicker of that familiar flame she reserved for others. It was small, but it was something. 

—

Soon, the pair of teenagers entered Adrien’s room, the boy walking over to his bed and letting Marinette slide off his back onto the soft mattress. She looked around in wonder, gaping at how grand his room was. Her eyes took everything in from the skate ramp on one side of his wall to the collection of vintage arcade games to the other. A staircase led up to a second level with books lining the entirety of the walls- his own personal library.

“Your room is huge,” she stated frankly.

He hummed, watching as she looked around with the funniest star-struck expression on her face, her mouth fluttering as she made tiny side comments to herself. She was something else.

Marinette felt his gaze on her, snapping her out of her reverie in an instant. She was in Adrien’s room. On his _bed_. Just him and her, alone… together. She brought her hands to her face in an attempt to cool her heated cheeks, realizing then that the warmth she felt was much more than a blush.

Noticing the sudden change in her behavior, Adrien reached out to touch her forehead before stopping himself short. “Erm… may I?” he asked, bringing the girl’s attention back to him. She eyed his extended hand, bewildered.

“Um.. s-s-ure,” she managed to reply.

Adrien gingerly lifted Marinette’s bangs, placing his hand flush against her forehead. The girl closed her eyes, relishing in the sensation and using all her willpower to not lean into his touch. This had to be some crazy dream. She probably was passed out on the floor of the classroom right now with no one around to help her.

His hand shifted a bit, causing her to feel something flat and cold graze her forehead. She realized it was a ring, and the sharp coolness of it was relief to her burning skin.

He sighed as he withdrew his hand, feeling his own face in order to compare. “Yeah, you’ve got a fever, Marinette. I was hoping you had gotten better by the time we got here but…” he trailed off, opening the side drawer next to his bed and rummaging around. He placed a bottle of Advil in her hands. “I’ll go get a glass of water so you can take these.” 

He swiftly left the room, Marinette staring after him, dazed. After a few minutes, she tapped her purse lightly. 

“Tikki. Pinch me, I must be dreaming,” she sighed happily.

“Marinette…a fever?” the Kwami whined softly.

Marinette scooped her friend up, the little one refusing to make eye contact. Her antennas drooped, and she seemed to curl into herself.

“Wait, what’s wrong?” 

“I just…” Tikki paused, finally looking up, “three Lucky Charms were too much for you. I shouldn’t have let you transform so many times. Or I should’ve made you call Chat Noir. Or I should’ve-”

“Tikki, no. It’s not your fault, and I’m fine. I was the one who pushed. If anything I should be worried about you!”

The kwami giggled, albeit a little stiffly. “I’m more than okay. You stuffed a jar’s worth of cookies in your bag this morning! Even though you didn’t get anything for yourself…” she mumbled the last part under her breath, upset at her charge’s neglect for her own well-being. 

“But I’ll be more careful, I promise,” Marinette reassured her, nuzzling her fondly against her cheek.

“Mm ok. But just so you know, I-” Tikki perked up suddenly, her wide eyes snapping to a corner of the room. 

“Tikki?”

“Ah, it’s nothing,” she shook her head and smiled at her girl, her attention remaining trained on that spot. She was sure she felt it- that familiar presence.

That mangy cat kwami…


	3. Chapter 3

Adrien leaned back in his chair, staring at the sleeping girl beside him. He smiled, amused at how comfortably at home she looked. Her raven hair was splayed across the pillows, her pigtails having come undone in her slumber, and she snuggled deeper into his sheets with a content sigh. He reached over to remove the damp cloth he placed on her forehead earlier and placed the back of his hand on her cheek to feel her temperature. Thankfully, the medicine brought her fever down and gave her some much needed rest. Nodding in relief, he stood and walked over to his computer monitors, plopping into the rolling chair and bringing up the Ladyblog to read up on any potential akuma attacks.

“Adrien, have we adopted a new kitten?” Plagg drawled, zipping up to his boy and sitting on his shoulder. His little tail curved towards Marinette and his head tilted in curiosity. “If you want to win Ladybug’s heart, this girl will prove to be a problem,” he said with a wink.

“What are you talking about, Plagg?” Adrien scoffed lightly, a blush creeping along his cheeks. “I’m just taking care of her until she gets better.”

“Hm. This is one hell of a treatment then.”

“Don’t underestimate my love for my Lady,” he chuckled, cracking a lopsided smirk as he clicked a picture of Ladybug on the blog. He leaned his head on his hands, blinking dazedly at the image. “Marinette’s a nice girl, and it’s the least I could do.”

Plagg rolled his eyes, floating over to the girl and examining her like the curious kitten he was. The only time he got a good look at her was through Chat Noir’s eyes, back when she helped fight the Evillustrator. She was an interesting girl indeed.

“Hey, get back! She could wake up,” Adrien warned in a sharp whisper.

“She’s a cute one!” Plagg exclaimed with a mewl, Adrien shooting him an exasperated look. “And she’s nice, like you said. I bet she'd feed me all the cheese I want. Plus she’s a baker’s daughter, right? I wonder what kind of cheese she has access to-”

Suddenly, the kwami’s ears perked up, his green eyes looking around in alert. A pulse of energy that only he could feel surged through the room, dissipating as quickly as it had come. It called out to him, and he realized that he had been discovered. He gave a surprised hum of recognition, looking down at the sleeping girl again in a new light.

“Plagg?”

The kitten flew towards his boy, still slightly distracted. His ears were swiveled to the back, his concentration on some noise Adrien couldn't hear. “Get me some Camembert, Adrien!”

“Now? But-”

“We’re going on patrol later tonight, aren't we? Then I need to gather up my strength!”

“Yeah, but you don’t usually-”

“You take such good care of your Princess, but not me? I'm hurt.”

Adrien shook his head and sighed in defeat. Pushing back on his chair, he gave his kwami a pointed look before heading downstairs to the kitchen. “Behave,” he ordered as he closed the door behind him.

Plagg listened closely, hearing the thump of Adrien’s footsteps descending the staircase. He waited a beat before whizzing towards Marinette’s purse that lay on the floor and tapping on the metal clasp like knocking on a door.

“Anybody home? Is that a _sweet tooth_ I sense?” Plagg purred, his words laced with friendly mockery. A muffled groan seeped through the fabric of the purse, the clasp clicking open to reveal Tikki sticking her tongue out at the cat.

“Oh, you know I hate being called that!”

He snickered in response, holding his paw out in welcome. Tikki let out her own melodic giggle, flying out in the open and tapping her small hand to his in a little fistbump.

“You know, you really should mask your presence even when you’re at home. I noticed you right away,” she scolded, though she knew Plagg wouldn’t listen to her anyway.  “So, Adrien Agreste... You've got yourself a very fine Chat Noir.”

“And your Ladybug is this ‘Princess’ over here? You picked quite the girl. I assume you’ve got a lifetime supply of sweets with her,” he smirked.

“That was only a pleasant coincidence, cheesehead. She's simply amazing and I’m very proud of her,” she glanced up at her sleeping girl, her big eyes glowing with fondness.

Plagg suddenly rolled up into a ball, shaking with suppressed laughter as to not wake up Marinette. “Oh the poor boy… the girl of his dreams is right under his nose. In his _bed_!”

Tikki floated low beside him, whacking him on the head softly to try and settle him down. “You know the rules, though. We mustn’t meddle.” Unfortunately, that was much easier said than done. Tikki longed to see Marinette’s face when she found out her crush was none other than her most trusted partner, but she knew that it was not her place to tell her.

“I know, I know. Don’t worry, it’s much more fun watching this unfold on its own.” The cat rubbed his paws together devilishly, delighted at this new knowledge. Flipping on his back, he lazily drifted in circles around Tikki, his tail dragging across the floor. “So, to what do I owe the honor of your presence, sweet tooth? You could have hidden yourself from me, but instead, you did the opposite. Missed me?”

Tikki’s blue eyes were fixed on him, her usually sweet face hardened by enough concern to stop his carefree floating. He turned upright, giving her his full attention. “We have a problem.”

“Hit me.”

“We fought an akuma last night. _All_ night. Ladybug can usually handle one on her own whenever the need rises, but… this time it took three Lucky Charms.”

“Tikki, you dummy, should have calle-”

“I know,” she shook her head, the regret had not left her since this morning. “But in the heat of it all, it just didn’t happen.”

Plagg sighed. His ears swiveled to the door, listening for the return of his charge. Hearing nothing, he grabbed Tikki’s hand and led her to Adrien’s desktop, the Ladyblog still displayed on all of the monitors. He scrolled through the website, pausing on an article summarizing the past few akuma attacks in Paris.

“They’re getting stronger, aren’t they?” he hissed, his green eyes skimming the words swiftly to jog his memory.

“I’m afraid so.”

~~~~

Marinette bolted upright, a comical yelp spilling from her mouth with her hair flipping in front of her face. Her eyes darted around the room, not recognizing her surroundings. Her gaze finally landed on Adrien who had rolled over to her in his chair as soon as he heard her scream.

“Good morning to you too,” Adrien laughed lightly, patting her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.

He studied her face, wondering if she had a bad dream, but he couldn’t find any fear in her expression. She was certainly a sight, though- his eyes wandered from her soft curls draped over her face, to her pink lips jutted out in a confused pout, to her shirt wrinkled and riding up from her slumber. The blankets- _his blankets_ \- rustled softly as she tried to untangle her legs from the twisted mass, all the while staring curiously at him. _‘She’s a cute one!’_ Plagg’s exclamation from earlier echoing in the back of his brain. He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “Are you okay?”

She blinked, swiping away the strands of hair in her face and combing through her locks nervously. Ah, she remembered now. She was at Adrien’s house, and she had dozed off. Marinette tensed, noticing the illuminated Eiffel Tower glowing from the windows and causing her to make a dive for her purse that was on the floor. She whipped out her phone, staring at the screen with wide eyes. “Oh no, it’s almost nine!”

“What?” Adrien gasped, taking out his own phone to check the time for himself. “Shoot, I’m sorry Marinette. I didn’t know it was already so late.”

The girl jumped out of the bed, frantically adjusting her tousled clothes and slipping on her flats. “It’s okay!” she assured him, throwing a wink over her shoulder. _She threw Adrien Agreste a wink._ “I told my parents I was over at a friend’s house working on the ‘project’. It’s a little later than they expected me home, but…” She shrugged her blazer on, pausing as she realized that she didn’t remember taking it off before she fell asleep.

Before she could think further on it, her phone rang, making her jump. “Mama! Yes, I’m coming home now. Sorry, time just flew out the window,” she said nervously, exchanging glances with Adrien who was chuckling into his hand. “Okay. Ah, yes. Love you, be there soon!”

Adrien stood from his chair, his hand hovering over Marinette’s shoulders to catch her in case she falls. Sure, she made it out of bed fine, but he wasn’t about to have her crash to the floor again. “Feeling better?”

Her mouth popped open in a small ‘o’ having forgotten the reason she was here in the first place. She pursed her lips in concentration, taking a couple tentative steps forward, Adrien by her side like a mother watching her baby take her first steps. She grinned, relieved that she had regained most of her strength now. She hopped a couple times for good measure, turning to Adrien happily. “I’m good!”

He was flustered by how cute she just was, laughing as he felt the warmth her actions exuded. She was so full of life. So full of radiance. It was refreshing to have in this quiet, cold mansion he calls a home. It was a presence that had been absent ever since…

Marinette walked ahead in front of him, a small smile still gracing her face, and he followed. If he was Chat, he probably would have swooped her in his arms and carried her down the stairs despite the fact she said she was fine. But right now, he settled for keeping his hand on the small of her back as they made their way to the entrance, chatting lightly about nothing in particular.

They stepped out together, relishing in the cool air Paris offered. Marinette turned to him, smiling shyly. “Thanks for today, Adrien. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you weren’t there.”

“I’m glad I _was_ there,” he said honestly. He couldn’t bear to imagine her passed out on the classroom floor, alone. “Take it easy, okay? Though... I wouldn’t mind kidnapping you again like I did today.” _Oops, the cat slipped out again._

She rolled her eyes, an automatic response on her part, though she didn’t realize it. The boldness of his words, the way his voice melted like butter and dropped an octave- this was all new to her and yet it seemed like a distant memory at the same time. She felt a wave of confidence, as if she had put Ladybug’s mask on and was no longer talking to her crush. Rising up to her tiptoes, she threw her hands around his shoulders, burying her head in the crook of his neck.

“Thank you,” Adrien felt the warm air hit his skin as she murmured the words. What he did for her seemed small, but for Marinette, it meant the world. He took her in without any questions. He took care of her and gave her an opportunity to speak coherent sentences around him and learn more about him.

And for Adrien, he got to know his (what thought was) shy classmate a little more, though he quickly learned “shy” certainly was not a trait Marinette could be described as. She was confident. She was outspoken. And while she usually stumbled around him, he saw her breaking through whatever barrier there was between them and it felt amazing. If it wasn’t for his Lady, maybe… just maybe…

“Y-you’re welcome, Marinette,” he whispered.

She jumped back, adjusting her purse nervously. “I-I-I’ll see you at school o-on Monday!” And with that, she turned on her heel and ran off, peeking over her shoulder with a grin and a tiny wave. Adrien stared after her retreating figure, his heart beating a little too fast and his face a little too warm. Plagg floated up to meet his gaze, the kwami wearing a curiously smug expression.

“What?” Adrien asked, giving a final glance towards where Marinette left. He slipped inside and shut the door softly, sliding down it and ending up sitting on the floor. He brought a hand to his chin, deep in thought.

“Last I knew, only Ladybug could make you like this,” Plagg snickered.

“I told you, I was helping a friend- ah! Ladybug!” Adrien exclaimed, jumping up immediately and sprinting towards his room, Plagg following beside him. “I’m late for patrol! Ugh, she’s probably been waiting for me!”

“Oh Adrien, I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” the black kwami purred knowingly under his breath and flew towards Adrien’s hand, patting the boy’s finger sympathetically (and earning a confused look from Adrien) before disappearing into the silver ring.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette returns home after her time at Adrien’s. Meanwhile, Adrien is starting to get confused, finding a new love blooming after the day’s interesting events. With their minds unknowingly racing about each other, they find themselves face-to-face as civilian and superhero.

Marinette plopped face down into her bed, crinkling her nose in disappointment when she wasn’t met with Adrien’s scent in the sheets. She let out a shaky breath. _What had just happened?_ In only a matter of hours, the dreams she’s had about her prince had come true, albeit some kind of twisted version with her being sick and all.

“Marinette,” Tikki chirped, “Chat Noir is trying to contact you.”

With a small screech, Marinette flipped around and sat up, looking at her kwami with panicked eyes. “Aaah Tikki, I forgot about patrol!”

The kwami shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not letting you transform this weekend unless it’s a dire emergency.”

“What?”

“Just please take this time to rest. To _fully_ recover. Do it for me?” Tikki held Marinette’s nose between her little hands with her eyes wide and pleading.

The girl pouted, knowing that the baby-doll eyes always overpowered her. She saw the concern swirling in Tikki’s gaze, though, and she felt guilty for causing her friend to worry so much. “Okay… for you,” Marinette fondly tapped her kwami on the head with her finger, the little one lighting up instantly and zipping in circles.

“That’s my girl! Here, I can whip up your yoyo so that you can talk to Chat!” With a bright flash of pink, Ladybug’s yoyo fell into Marinette’s hands. “Remember to keep the video option off.”

The girl nodded and opened the device, fiddling with a couple buttons before Chat Noir’s face popped up on the screen.

“Hello, My Lady,” he purred, his trademark grin spreading across his face. The image of him was shaking as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop. He glanced at her through the screen, humming in curiosity. “Are you _that_ mad at me for being late that you don’t want to show me your beautiful face?”

Marinette rolled her eyes at his remark, smiling and letting out a chuckle nonetheless. “Don’t worry, silly kitty, you’re not late. Actually, I’m going to have to skip out on patrol tonight.”

A brief pause.“Did something happen?” he asked in concern. She watched as his face became illuminated by the Eiffel Tower’s glow, meaning he arrived at their usual meeting place.

“I- um… it’s my kwami!” Marinette shot an apologetic smile to Tikki who had puffed her cheeks out cutely for being made into an excuse. “She’s a little sick, so I’m trying to lay low for a few days.”

Chat cracked a sympathetic grin, nodding in understanding. His green eyes held a knowing look, and she bit her lower lip knowing he probably saw through her little white lie. But if he did, he let it go.

“Fear not, My Lady, I can handle things while you’re away,” he assured her with dramatic flare and added a playful wink to top it all off. His drooping cat ears, however, betrayed his cheerful demeanor. She saw his eyes dim in disappointment.

“What? Gonna miss me, kitty?” she said with a joking edge, hoping to lighten the mood. To her relief, he instantly smiled.

“I miss you every second we’re not together!”

Marinette giggled, using her pinky to touch the screen where Chat’s face was as if she was flicking his nose. She knew he couldn’t see her, but he wrinkled his nose slightly in response, like he expected it. “Call me if there’s an Akuma attack. I’m pretty sure I can transform just to cleanse those nasty bugs…” she glanced at her kwami for permission, the little one pouting as she nodded helplessly. Only Ladybug could purify Akumas, at least for now anyway.

“As you wish, My Lady,” he drawled, his voice like silk. He gave her another wink before he terminated the call, the screen turning black. Ladybug’s compact gave a brilliant flash of pink and disappeared.

Tikki flew to Marinette’s face, tapping the girl on her nose. “Okay, Marinette, time to sleep!” the kwami urged, giving her charge a stern look.

Honestly, she wasn’t tired at all, having slept at Adrien’s for hours. But she relented for the sake of her little kwami. She grabbed Tikki and pressed a kiss on her head, placing her on the desk before getting ready for bed.

~~

Chat Noir leaned against the tower, silently staring at the blank screen on his baton. Sighing, he hooked it back on his belt and peered over the shimmering city of Paris. It was beautiful. No matter how many times he’s seen this view, he has never gotten tired of it- especially when his Lady was normally with him to share it.

He always enjoyed watching Ladybug’s face as she looked over Paris, and to him, her beauty was _far_ more breathtaking than the city. Closing his eyes, he could picture her in his mind during these nights, as if she was beside him now. Her eyes were a deep sapphire in the night, the reflections of the surrounding lights shining within them like stars. A soft breeze usually ruffled her bangs, the hair tickling her face as she would bring a hand up to sweep them behind her ear. His hand would twitch, wanting to brush the strands of hair away as an excuse to caress her face even briefly, but of course, he’d resist. Her smile was always gentle, growing larger as she would glance over at Chat who would have to avert his eyes to hide the fact that he was staring. They’d exchange a few words, usually lame puns that he knew could get her to crack a lopsided grin and punch him softly on his shoulder. A silent decision would be made to start their rounds through the city, going separate ways but never straying too far from each other and meeting up again often for updates.

This time, however, when Ladybug turned to him to bid him a cheery "see you soon," it ended up being Marinette’s face that smiled at him. His eyes snapped open, his heart racing as he stood up straight in surprise.

_Marinette…?_

A flickering moment of clarity passed over him, as if someone wiped a foggy window clean only to have it become clouded once again. _What was that?_

Shaking his head, he made his way down the tower, having deemed Paris safe enough in his brief journey to the tower. He started to head home.

But not before taking a little detour to check up on his Princess.

~~

Marinette rested over the metal railing of her balcony and smiled as the cool air hit her face. In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to sleep, and she snuck outside to get a breath of fresh air. As her eyes swept over the lights below, she thought back to her quick talk with Chat Noir, suddenly missing their nighttime patrol. Their weekly meetups were routine now, having done so for almost a year now. She felt incomplete without them. But then Adrien filled her mind and she sighed happily, relishing in the day’s crazy events for the thousandth time.

The tap-tap of leather boots hitting metal beside her caused her head to whip towards the sound. A pair of large, glowing green eyes stared back at her in surprise. She stumbled backwards, her hand clenching in a fist over her racing heart.

“C-Chat Noir! W-what…” she exclaimed, her voice a couple octaves higher than normal.

The boy was couched on the railing with his tail swishing from side to side. He reached a hand out towards her apologetically, then brought it behind his head to rub his neck. “Sorry, Princess, I didn’t expect anyone to be up here.”

Marinette released an exaggerated exhale, her hand fanning over her chest in relief. In two long strides, she was suddenly up in his face with a finger poking him in the chest and her mouth set in a pout. An adorable pout.

“Never. Do. That. Again.” she emphasized with a firm poke for each word.

Chat couldn’t help but laugh, grabbing her hand to stop attacking his chest. “I… will make no such _paw_ mises,” he purred, his sly grin sliding across his face in a way she was all too accustomed with.

Huffing in frustration- but with a small grin of her own dancing on her lips- she pulled her hand from his and leaned over the railings like before. One of her arms hung lazily over the edge while she rested her head against the other and faced her newly found company.

“So,” she started, watching as he jumped down to stand beside her and mirror her comfortable position. She rolled her eyes as he plopped his head on his arm just like she had, not being able to resist returning the smile he flashed at her. “What are you doing here, Chat?”

He hummed. “Coincidence,” he said simply.

She doubted it but didn’t push any further, instead choosing to stare back at him silently. She and Chat often ran into each other as civilian and superhero, but their conversations were always cut short since he had to run off to fight a villian. Marinette, of course, had to hide away to join him as Ladybug soon after.  

“I was on my way home from patrol, and I just… ended up here,” his gaze shifted to the side of her face, not wanting for her to read between the lines. He came because he wanted to make sure she returned home alright and to check up on her health, but _Adrien_ would be the only person to know that she wasn’t feeling well today. So, as Chat, he’d have to tiptoe around the subject without being too obvious.

“Why are you still up at this hour, _mademoiselle_?” he settled with a safe question.

“Can’t sleep.”

“And why is that?”

Marinette sighed and pressed her forehead against her arm. “I had an… interesting day to say the least.”

“A good kind of interesting? Or bad?”

She didn’t reply for a moment, her face remaining hidden from him. He studied her carefully, realizing that he was actually bracing himself for her answer.

“It was a… _wonderful_ kind of interesting,” she finally whispered and looked at him, pink blooming across her cheeks, visible even in the dim lighting that her balcony provided.

“Oh?” Chat wasn’t able to hide the delight in his voice, and he leaned closer to her, his green eyes glinting mischievously.

Marinette took it as a prodding to elaborate, so she stuck her tongue out at him before sauntering to the bench behind them. “That’s all you’re getting out of me, Chat Noir,” she smirked and plopped down, leaving some space for him. An invitation.

His ears perked up, and he gleefully pranced over to sit next to her. He swung his arm around to rest on the back of the bench, and Marinette could feel the warmth radiate from his leather-clad skin despite him not even touching her. She leaned forward to prop her elbows on her knees, giving him a pointed look. She expected to be met with one of his suggestive grins, but…

The boy was looking off into the distance, strangely pensive. Actually, their whole exchange tonight was far calmer than she was used to when it came to talking with him, Ladybug or not.

“Are you okay, Chat?”

He looked at her then, seeing her catch her bottom lip with her teeth in concern- a habit that she shared with…..

“Are _you_ okay, Princess?” he countered, grateful for the opening to directly bring up the question he had been wanting to ask.

She tilted her head at having her question sent back to her and nodded with a faint smile. “I’m fine. In fact, I was well taken care of today by… someone.”

His heart threatened to burst out of his chest then and there, hyper aware of the curious way she said the word “someone.”

“Is that ‘someone’ the main reason why you can’t sleep then?” he managed to ask, barely masking his voice with what he hoped sounded like casual conversation. The confident Chat Noir was slipping away, and the shy and nervous Adrien was starting take over. He felt like the two sides of him were melting into one, and it confused him. Why did this always have to happen around Marinette?

The girl nudged him in his side. “Maybe, maybe not,” she laughed, keeping her answers vague. “Though if you have any tips on falling asleep fast, please do tell. My kw- my friend would be very angry with me if she finds out how little I’ve slept.”

Chat threw his head back, staring up at the stars. “I think about the person I love,” he answered almost immediately. He heard a small squeak escape Marinette’s lips, and he knew that his openness probably caught her off guard. He locked eyes with her, willing his mind to conjure up the face of his love, his Lady, instead of the girl before him. But Marinette’s face remained.

Marinette refused to pry, thinking that this talk had already gotten too deep for her liking. She was happy she could talk more with her partner, but things were getting personal- something she made sure to avoid as Ladybug in order to protect their identities. It scared her because… it made her want to know more. More about his life behind his mask.

And..

It made her _want_ to let him know more behind hers.

“D-doesn’t that give you the opposite effect?” she ended up continuing the conversation anyway.

“Depends on what you’re thinking about,” Chat winked. He stood up suddenly, spinning around to face Marinette and bowing deeply. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to it in true Chat Noir fashion. “I was feeling a little lonely since I couldn’t see my Lady tonight, but… I’m glad I ran into you, Princess.”

Her hand squeezed his, feeling a bit guilty for leaving him to patrol on his own. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his antics, though. “Do you find a girl to flirt with every time Ladybug can’t join you, tomcat?” Deep inside her, she felt jealousy creep up at thought of him filling the void of her absence with other girls around Paris.

Chat bounded towards the railing, leaping onto it effortlessly. With a hand on his hip, he peered over his shoulder to smirk at her. “You’re the _only one_ , Marinette.” Giving a small salute, he leapt off her balcony, his black suit blending into the shadows of the rooftops.

~~

Adrien slipped back into his room through the window, a green flash illuminating the dark room. He caught an exhausted Plagg in his hands, scratching the kwami’s ears tenderly. “Sorry about that, buddy,” the boy chuckled, walking over to his dresser and pulling out a large, half-wheel of camembert.

Plagg immediately flew towards it, sitting atop the mass of cheese and pulling a bite sized chunk from it. “I have a feeling that will happen more often. You better stash up on these.” he said, patting the camembert.

Kicking off his sneakers, Adrien plopped into bed, not bothering to change out of his street clothes. His mind was reeling, and he knew he wasn’t going to get much sleep. ‘ _The irony_ ,’ he laughed to himself. Didn’t he just give Marinette advice about how to fall asleep?

He turned on his side, hugging a pillow and realizing that it had the sweet, strawberry scent of Marinette’s shampoo on it. Oh God, he couldn’t escape her… but… he didn’t really want to anyway. He found himself hugging the pillow closer, his eyes wandering aimlessly around his room when a splash of pink near his computer desk caught his attention.

It was Marinette’s backpack.

 _‘Ah. She must have forgotten it.’_ He smiled, suddenly feeling sleep coming to him quickly and a single face filling his mind- a different face than all his previous nights. _‘I’ll have to return that to her tomorrow…’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow updates! I've been busy with school and have been focusing on cosplay lol, so please be patient with me :') Thank you all for your kind words and support! I don't write often, and this is my first multi-chap fic, so it means a lot!


	5. Chapter 5

“There there, Marinette, it's not that bad!” Tikki pat the girl softly on the cheek, her reassuring words mixed with the tune of her giggles.

Marinette slouched in the middle of her floor with her knees propped up and her head resting on them in defeat. Clothes and random objects lay strewn across the floor having been thrown around in a desperate and unsuccessful search attempt. 

“Not that bad? Tikki, I left my backpack at his house!” Misery was pouring from every syllable the poor girl uttered. 

She had hoped that her forgetful self just misplaced her bag somewhere in her room, but eventually she had to accept the fact that her bag wasn't here at all. Most of her school belongings were in there, and she had loads of homework and studying to do over the weekend. Superhero or not, she needed to keep her grades up, especially since her alter ego makes her miss so much class already. The heaviness of being grounded began to creep up on her, and she wanted to run as far away from that outcome as possible.

But. There was no way she could just waltz over to the Agreste mansion uninvited to embarrassingly admit she forgot her own bag in Adrien’s bedroom. Punishment or the loss of her dignity… which one was worse?

As much as she and Adrien bonded the day before, Marinette still felt cautious as to how close they considered each other to be. Was it just a one time thing? Did he only do it out of pity for her sick self? Would he think she left her bag behind on purpose as a sad excuse to come back to his house? 

With all these questions crowding her mind, Marinette collapsed backwards, lying flat on the floor with her hands covering her face in exasperation. 

“Oh Marinette, you're overreacting,” Tikki chided, rolling her blue eyes in amusement. “You can call him and ask for it back! There's no way he’d be unkind about it.”

“I didn't even get his phone number!” Marinette groaned as she pressed her hands harder against her face. “And no way am I asking Alya for it. I've got to earn it myself.” 

The kwami giggled. “You have to earn it?”

“Yes! You know that it's one of my goals!” The girl let out an exasperated cry, throwing a sad glance at one of Adrien’s pictures on the wall. She held his frozen gaze and internally begged his image to spare her mind of all these overwhelming thoughts.

The chime of the doorbell suddenly rang throughout the house, causing Marinette to jump in surprise. Sighing, she got up off the floor and kicked a path through the mess that surrounded her. With every step down the stairs towards the front door, she tweaked her distressed expression into what she hoped was a pleasant smile.

“Hello-” Marinette greeted, only to have the air whoosh out of her lungs as she recognized the visitor. Emerald eyes lit up as they met her own.

“Hey, Marinette! I’m sorry for coming over without telling you first…” Adrien chuckled, his hand rubbing his neck apologetically- a motion that sparked some deja vu on Marinette’s end. He shrugged slightly, his gaze flickering down to his hand as he offered something to her almost shyly.

Her eyes followed his, widening as she realized that he was clutching her pink backpack. “O-oh!” she squeaked and tried her best to ignore how their hands brushed each other as she accepted the bag from him. The contact left her hand buzzing. 

She hugged her bag to her chest nervously, her cheeks heating up. “I’m so sorry for the trouble, especially with everything you did for me yesterday. I’m such a ditz, leaving it behind.”

The blonde chuckled warmly, shaking his head. “No problem at all, Marinette! It gave me an excuse to see you again.”

“...”

Adrien backpedaled immediately, his cheeks blazing and his hand flying behind his head again. “That’s not what- well I mean, of course I wanted to see you again but- I uh…” 

Oh how the tables have turned.

Marinette listened patiently, perplexed as her crush stumbled over his words. She giggled, and the melody of it snapped Adrien out of his rambling. The way her delicate hand covered her mouth, the way her eyes squeezed shut as she laughed, the way her blue gems finally peaked out from her dark lashes as she calmed herself...

“I’m happy you came by. Thank you,” she beamed up at him with an expression so genuine that he felt like he was his alter ego soaring over Paris’s rooftops without a care in the world- a feeling he loved the most about being Chat Noir. Of course, he also loved seeing his Lady, but if he was honest with himself, he’d admit that she’d been on the backburner of his mind since last night. Right now, it was all Marinette, Marinette, Marinette. 

It felt sudden- the way his heart began racing for this girl he usually only considered as a friend. Thinking more on it, he and Marinette haven’t actually talked much, and despite their closeness the day before, she still seemed more open in talking to Chat. Whatever guard she has with Adrien is always dropped when it came to his alter ego.

He was kind of jealous. Of himself.

Whenever Chat and Marinette talk, it’s like familiar friends- like he somehow knew her. But how could he? Yesterday was the longest conversation they’ve had, both as Adrien and Chat. It was like he was looking out of a camera lens, with Marinette in focus and the surroundings blurred out. All he had to do was zoom out and adjust the focus to see the bigger picture, but something was keeping him from doing so.

It was all very confusing.

“A-Adrien?”

Marinette’s timid voice broke his thoughts, and Adrien realized that he had been staring at her the entire time. She was fiddling with her bag, shifting from one foot to the other under the intensity of his gaze. She never broke eye contact with him, though, her calculating gaze trying to read him.

“I just…” Adrien mumbled. Something clicked in his mind, and he stood up straighter and squared his shoulders. “Let’s go somewhere.”

“What?”

“Let’s go somewhere,” he repeated, grabbing her hand and tugging her forward gently. “Are you busy today?”

Marinette faltered, a bit shocked at the boy’s sudden forwardness. Slowly setting her backpack aside, she stepped closer, her eyes furrowed in confusion but with excitement right underneath. The girl gripped her purse lightly, making sure Tikki was nestled inside. Sure enough, she felt two small hands press against her fingers through the fabric in encouragement. 

“I’m free today,” the girl finally squeaked out, “but you-” 

With a small and joyous cheer, Adrien pulled her through the door, giving her a tiny moment to fumble with locking it before leading her downstairs to the outside. He pulled out his phone, grasping onto Marinette’s hand with his other hand, and rung someone up on speed dial.

“Nathalie, something came up. I need to cancel the rest of today’s photoshoots,” he explained swiftly into the receiver, shooting Marinette a sly grin. She sent a distressed look in return.

“What?! Adrien, you can’t do th-”

“It’s really important! Please… You’ll have me all tomorrow, I promise,” he continued to Nathalie, pouring every ounce of desperation in his voice as possible. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a way Marinette immediately recognized. Oh, what a sneak- he knew exactly how to get what he wants from his father’s secretary. 

There was a pause on the other line causing them to stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Adrien unconsciously squeezed Marinette’s hand in anticipation. A terse, garbled response later and the boy’s face split into a grin. “Thank you!”

“Wow, what was that?” Marinette smirked as she watched him stuff his phone away. Her eyes snapped back to his, gently pulling her hand from his grasp to cross her arms in front of her chest, her hip popping out in a stance that screamed ‘You. Are. Busted.’

Adrien blinked in surprise before smiling sheepishly, knowing that he was caught. “What can I say? She’s developed a soft spot for me, but I only bring that out for special occasions. I’m not that devious as to take advantage of her kindness,” he defended himself with a warm chuckle.

“And this is a special occasion?”

“Of course. I wasn’t lying to her about how important this is.” 

There was no hesitation when he spoke, and the sincerity in his voice caused her teasing nature to recoil. Same old, stuttering Marinette returned full force.

“Wha- I- huh?” She spluttered ungracefully, stumbling after him as he started to lead the way again. His hand found hers once more, his thumb rubbing reassuringly on her knuckle.

Marinette swore she felt steam bursting out of her ears like one of those silly cartoons. “W-where are we going?” she managed to squeak out.

Adrien grinned over his shoulder at her. “Trust me?” he asked, much like he did the day before.

And this time, she was able to voice the only response she would ever have for him.

“Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter! Thank you guys so much for being patient and for all the nice comments! I wanna say again that I don't dedicate much time on writing since my focus is on other things, so it means a lot! That being said, I began this fic for fun and without a real story in mind for the long run, so it is really open ended. I'm not sure how often I'll update it, but I'll try! Thanks for enjoying so far!


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